Perfect Match
by The R-I World
Summary: AU- US soccer star Jane Rizzoli, 34, playing for the Western New York Flash, announced that she would retire at the end of the season. The news came as a shock for a 6-year-old fan girl, named Lorie. Her mom Maura Isles, 38, Chief of Surgery at the Los Angeles Children's Hospital, has been named the Head of the Isles Foundation. Will she make her daughter's dream come true? Rizzles
1. One Fan May Hide Another

**Chapter 1. "One Fan May Hide Another"**

* * *

**_April 2013 - Los Angeles's Children Hospital_**

Another day. Another tough day in Maura Isles's daily life. She usually woke up at 6:30am and worked until 7pm. Then, she went back home, had dinner with her daughter, read her a story before taking her to bed, watched a documentary drinking a glass of wine, took a bath and went to sleep. Maura was a single mom. Some male surgeons had attempted to ask her out on a date many times, but never succeeded. She always refused their invitations, saying she had to take care of her daughter or she did not mix her personal life with her professional life. At lunch, she sat alone at her desk, eating a salad she brought from home. But this day, she accepted to go out at noon with one of her colleagues, Doctor Susie Chang, to try a brand new restaurant only two blocks away from the hospital.

"Maura... I'm worried about you and I'm not the only one... You are working too much and you are more and more stressed. You should take a break, and go have some fun for yourself."

"I don't have time to do that. My mother will retire next month..."

"It's not because you're gonna be the Head of the Isles Foundation in Boston that you have to sacrifice yourself, Maura."

"Look... not only I'm the Chief of Surgery here, but at the same time, I also have to: -manage my project to create new services to enlarge the Foundation's activities, -be ready to move out to Boston, -take care of Lorie's new school and by the way I have no idea which school to choose, and to respond to all these interview requests... When do you want me to take a break?"

"Take the weekend off! Just two days. I can take care of Lorie and you can... I don't know... go out and... have some fun without talking about medical stuff."

"I'm not in the mood for that..."

"Okay... So... Take your daughter somewhere! What does she love?"

"She loves soccer... and especially Jane Rizzoli", she said with a smile, "She's a big 'Rizzoli' fan".

"Really?"

"Yes... She wants me to buy all magazines when Jane Rizzoli is on the cover. There are three posters and lots of pictures on the walls of her bedroom. She knows a lot of things about her, and since I offered her the US jersey with 'Rizzoli' on the back for her birthday last year, she wanted to be called 'Lorizzo'...", she said, still smiling.

"The US soccer team will be at Disneyland on Saturday for a signing session before playing a charity match on Sunday against the UCLA team. You should go. My sister and my niece will be there."

"It's her dream to see her for real..."

"So take a break and make your little princess the happiest little girl in the world." Doctor Chang had a grin on her face.

"What?" Maura frowned.

"It's been a long time since I saw you smile Doctor Isles, plus you managed to talk five minutes without saying 'surgery', 'hospital' or 'foundation'."

Maura smiled back. "Okay, okay, you won. I'll take my weekend off and I'll go to Disneyland with Lorie. Where can I buy tickets for the match?"

"I'll call my sister this afternoon and I'll inform you then."

"Thank you... for everything, Susie. You're right, I need a break."

"You're welcome!"

"Okay... now that I beat my record of not talking about medicine, we should go back to the _hospital_...", she said, smiling.

"Six minutes and a half, Doctor. But I'm sure you'll beat your record this weekend."

* * *

_**Beverly Hills - Maura's house - Same day, 7:21pm**_

Maura lived in Beverly Hills. When Lorie was born, she hired a nanny, Francesca Capellini, 53, who was a friend of her adoptive mother. Sometimes, the Italian woman helped her clean her house, run errands, iron clothes or cook dinner.

Maura always came back home around 7pm to be sure to spend some quality time with her daughter. After parking her Aston Martin Vanquish in her garage, she opened the front door of her house.

"Hello, I'm back! Lorie, Mommy's home!"

"Good evening Maura!", she welcomed the doctor, a bit worried.

"Buona sera Francesca! Is everything okay?!"

"Well, everything was fine. Lorie was happy, everything went well at school, but when I came back from the kitchen with a glass of milk and her favorite cookies, she was sad..."

"Sad? What happened?"

"I don't know. She received her 'Sports Illustrated' 's new issue. She was reading it when I went to the kitchen. When I came back she was sad. She didn't want to eat or drink anything. She took her magazine, ran upstairs and went to her bedroom. I tried to talk to her. She told me she was fine and she wanted to be alone."

"Okay...", she sighed. "Thank you Francesca. I'm going to talk to her right now." The older woman nodded.

Maura went upstairs directly to her daughter's bedroom. Lorie was sitting on her bed, reading. The doctor knocked on the open door and came in. "Hey sweetie! How are you?"

Lorie Isles, or 'Lorizzo', did not exactly look like her mother. She had long curly black hair with hazel eyes. She was 6 years old and would turn 7 in May, but she was very intelligent for her age.

"Hey Mommy. I'm fine...", she said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, but still looking at her magazine.

Maura frowned. She went to her bed and sat next to her. "What are you reading? What is it about?"

Lorie showed her the cover of the magazine.

"Oh!", she said, enthusiastically. Her first reaction was to be happy for her daughter when she saw that it was Jane Rizzoli on the cover, but "Oh...", the title stopped her immediately from saying anything else: 'Last season for Rizzoli'.

"I won't see her anymore on TV, Mommy... She won't play anymore... I'm going to miss her so much", she said, between sobs.

Maura sighed and cuddled her daughter. "Shhh sweetie...", she said, looking at her to wipe her tears away with her thumb. "Did she say why or what was she going to do?"

"She will retire in September 'cause she wants to manage her soccer academy."

"You know... If you like Jane Rizzoli..."

"I love her, Mommy!" she cut her off.

"Okay, so... if you love her, you have to respect her choice. It's her life. I'm sure she's healthy, so if she wants to stop her career, this decision belongs to her."

"But I'll never see her again, Mommy..."

"Look, first she said she'd retire in September. We're in April, so you'll still have a lot of matches to watch. And then... tell me what would you say to her if you saw her?" she asked her with a smile.

"If I see her... I'll tell her I love her, and that she's the greatest player in the world, and... and... and when I grow up I want to be like her."

"You want to be a professional soccer player?"

"Yes Mommy! I want to be a Rizzoli!", she confirmed, seriously.

Maura started laughing. "You want to be a Rizzoli huh? Not an Isles?"

"I'm already an Isles. I want to be a Rizzoli too."

The doctor leaned forward and kissed her on the head. "Okay, so you know what? What do you think about telling her what you've just said to me on Saturday?"

Lorie looked at her, trying to understand her last words.

"I lost you huh?", Maura said, with a smile. "Jane Rizzoli and the US soccer team will be at Disneyland on Saturday for a signing session. So, you'll be able to ask her for an autograph. What do you think about it?"

"For real?", the little girl almost shouted.

"Yes, of course, for real. I took the weekend off, so I won't have to go to work on Saturday", the doctor smiled.

"I'm gonna see Jane Rizzoli for real and get an autograph?"

"Yes sweetie!"

"YEEAAHHHHHHHH...", she said, with arms up in victory as if she had scored the winning goal in the final game of the World Cup. And then, she threw herself in the arms of her mother. "Thank you Mommy, I love you", she said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you too, sweetie."

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweetheart"

"Can I wear my 'Rizzoli' jersey to see Jane?"

"Yes, of course you can. Well, just take it off, I'm going to wash it now."

* * *

_**Beverly Hills - Maura's house - Saturday, 10:00am**_

"Okay so... Scooby-Doo sport bottle water?"

"Checked!"

"Rain coats ponchos?"

"Checked!"

"Favorite cookies?"

"Checked!"

"Salad sandwiches?"

"Checked!"

"Multivitamins Fruit Juice?"

"Checked!"

"Sunglasses?"

"Checked!"

"Winnie the Pooh cap?"

"On my head, Mommy!"

"Okay great!"

"Can I put the backpack on the car now?"

"Yes, you can."

"Okay!... Oh noooo!", Lorie started panicking, running upstairs.

"Slow down sweetie! I already told you to never run in the house."

"It's an emergency Doctor, I forgot my drawing for Jane in my bedroom".

"An emergency uh?!... Haha good try Lorizzo, but it doesn't change anything."

"Sorryyy Mommy!..."

* * *

_**Anaheim - Disneyland - Saturday afternoon**_

Going to Disneyland on Saturday was already a challenge, but going to Disneyland when the US soccer team was officially doing a signing session was a nightmare. Maura finally found a parking space but it was already 1:25pm.

When they arrived to the entrance, there were so many people that she tried desperately to reach a hostess.

"Lorie, don't let go my hand okay?"

"Okay Mommy!"

"Excuse-me... Miss... Excuse-me!"

"Good afternoon Madam, welcome to Disneyland!"

"Thank you... Good afternoon to you too! Can you tell me where the signing session with the US soccer team takes place please?"

"Inside the Paradise Pier Hotel." The hostess opened a map. "You have to follow the Disneyland Drive, it's here."

"Okay thank you."

"But I have to warn you there are already hundreds of people there, waiting outside."

"Oh fu... truck! Thank you...", she sighed.

"Have a nice day!"

* * *

_**Anaheim - Disneyland - Paradise Pier Hotel - Twenty minutes later**_

"Mommy, I see Jane! Look! Here! It's Jane!"

"Where?"

"Look! Over there!"

"Oh yes..."

"But we're still too far from her, Mommy. What time is it?"

"5:50pm sweetie!"

"Hurry... hurry up...", Lorie said to nobody. "People don't move anymore, Mommy. Do we still have to wait behind them?"

"Yes, we do. These people arrived here before us."

"It's not fair! Jane is my heroine. They don't care about her."

"How do you know that?"

"They don't wear her jersey. I do." Maura smiled lightly. Her daughter was very observant for her age. "What time is it now?"

The doctor sighed. "5:53pm"

"The signing session stops at 6, Mommy."

"I know sweetheart, but we really can't do anything right now but to wait."

"Yes, I know. But we're still too far."

Maura hoped the session would last a bit longer than expected. She knew it would be impossible for them to reach the table on time.

* * *

It was 6pm. They were at fifteen feet away from the table where all the US soccer team was sat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're very sorry but it's 6pm now. The signing session is over. The US soccer team has a training session tonight and has to go back to their hotel now. Please use the front door to go back to the parks", announced one of the guards.

"NOOOOO! JAANNEEE! JANE RIZZOLIII! JAANNNEEE PLEASE JANNEEE!", Lorie shouted out, looking at the soccer player to get her attention in vain. Maura knelt down beside her. Her daughter burst into tears and threw herself in her arms. Her sorrow was so deep that she could not stop sobbing.

"Shhh sweetie! Don't worry I'm sure you'll meet her before she retires... Shhh baby girl..." The doctor stroked her back until her sobbing ceased.

Jane Rizzoli had heard a little voice shouted out her name desperately. She had turned around to find out whom it belonged to, and saw a mini-Rizzoli turning her back to seek refuge in the arms of a blonde woman. 'Rizzoli' was written on the back of her jersey and it broke her heart. "Oh gosh, I hate this...", she said to herself.

"But I wanted to give her my drawing, Mommy." Lorie was inconsolable.

"I know sweetheart, I know... I'm sorry... But I'm sure you'll see her soon, baby girl... Sshhh sweetie... Calm down...", Maura said, kissing her on the top of her head. Lorie cuddled her mother tightly in return.

"Sir! Please!" Jane called out to a bodyguard who was not far from the table. "Please, can you tell this little girl wearing the US jersey with my name written on the back to come see me?"

"I'm sorry, I have to stay here."

"Look! I have to leave in five minutes. She's just here at fifteen feet away from us. She called me and I guess she's crying because she couldn't meet me. So, help me make one of my little fans happy tonight, tell her please..."

"Okay", he sighed.

"Thanks a lot!"

"Hey miss...", the bodyguard said to Maura and Lorie.

"Sorry sir, I know, we're going to leave", the doctor replied, standing up.

"Little miss, Jane Rizzoli asked for me to tell you she wanted to meet you. Follow me please".

Surprised, Lorie looked from her mother to Jane, who was waving at her. "Mommy?"

"Let's follow him sweetie. I guess Jane Rizzoli heard you call her name", she said with a smile.

"Hey kiddo!"

"Hi Jane!", she said, shyly, wiping her tears away from her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry sweetie."

"I so wanted to see you, I made a drawing for you... Here... It's for you...", she said, giving it to her.

"Wow thank you so much... Is it me here?"

"Yes, it's you. And over there, in the stands, it's me and the blonde woman is Mommy."

Jane looked up at Maura. "I guess it's you. Hello!", she said, with a smile.

"Hello!", she smiled back.

"So what's your name?", she asked the little brunette.

"Lorie Isles, but you can call me 'Lorizzo'"

"And how old are you?"

"I'm 6 years old, but I'll turn 7 next month, and I'm in Grade 1."

Jane took one of her cards and signed it, "Wow... So Lorizzo huh?", she said, smiling.

"Yes, I want to be a Rizzoli girl like you."

"Oh... A Rizzoli girl like me?", she said, trying to keep a straight face and not laugh.

"Yes, 'cause I love you, and you're the greatest soccer player of the world and... and I want to be a professional soccer player like you."

"You know buddy, if you want to be a Rizzoli girl like me, first you have to work hard, and then you have to wear a 'Red Sox' cap like the one I'm wearing right now. A Rizzoli girl like me doesn't wear a 'Winnie The Pooh' cap."

"Oh... I... I don't have a 'Red Sox' cap", she said, sadly, taking off her cap and looking down at her feet.

"That's not a problem! You can have mine!", she said, taking off her own cap. She ran a hand through her long black curls and put her cap on Lorie's head.

Her eyes were wide open with tears, dropping her jaw in sudden surprise. "But... but what about you?"

"Don't worry, I have another one in my sport bag!", she said, with a smile.

Lorie grinned at her. "Mommy, look at me! I'm a real Rizzoli girl now!", she said, giving her 'Winnie The Pooh' cap back to Maura.

"Sweetie, what do you say to Jane Rizzoli?"

"Oh sorry..." and then, she ran under the table.

"Hey hey hey, Lorie where are you going?", her mom shouted.

"Thank you very much Jane, I love you..." The little girl wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I'm really sorry, I... She always listens to me. She never does that...", Maura felt embarrassed and blushed a little.

"Don't worry, it's cute! I don't mind really...", she said, sitting the little girl on her lap.

"Well... thank you very much for everything. It's really nice of you."

"You're welcome. Your daughter broke my heart when I saw her crying". Suddenly, she frowned staring at the doctor. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Sorry?"

"Huh... I'm sorry... It's just that... I'm sure I've already seen you somewhere."

"Oh... Well... You might have... if you read medical magazines, yes..."

"Mommy is the greatest doctor on Earth!" Lorie exclaimed, grinning at Jane.

"Doctor...", Jane said to herself, trying to remember.

"It's Doctor Isles actually. Doctor Maura Isles."

"That's it, yes! Doctor Isles from the Isles Foundation in Boston, that's right?!..." Maura nodded. "I knew it. You're on the cover of the last issue of 'Doctormag'. I read your interview last week."

Maura's eyes were wide open in surprise. "You read 'Doctormag'?"

"Well no... But sometimes... yes. Actually my Ma subscribed to this mag and to 'My Family Doctor' as well".

"Oh! Your mother's a doctor?!"

"Huh... Noo... She was a... restaurant waitress, and now she babysits my nephew and some other kids. But she always wanted to have a doctor in the family, so I guess she thought that maybe reading doctors' magazines would help bring a doctor among us one day."

"Oh...", Maura smiled lightly.

"She's one of your fans by the way."

"Really?"

"Yes, she is... When she read your last interview about the Foundation, she was really..."

"Sorry! Rizzo, we have to go now", her teammate, Abby Wambach, cut her off.

"Oh.. Uh... Okay I-I'm coming!", she replied. She bit her lip, first looking away and then looking back at Maura. "Uh... Are you gonna see the match tomorrow?"

"Oh unfortunately no, we aren't... I tried to buy some tickets on the Internet, but they were all sold out.

"How many tickets do you want? Two... hmm... three?"

"Two. For Lorie and I."

"Okay, wait!" Jane opened her sport bag, put the little brunette's drawing inside, took her second 'Red Sox' cap, and pulled an envelope out of the large pocket. "I have two VIP tickets for the match tomorrow, including the big dinner with the team, organizers and sponsors. You'll be seated in the official areas with my Ma. My bros can't come, so if you're interested, they're yours!"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am, Doctor. They're yours! My Ma will be more than happy to meet you", she said, giving her the envelope.

"Mommy, we're gonna see the match tomorrow?" Lorie asked, very excited.

"Yes, sweetie.", Maura answered her daughter. "Jane, I don't know how to thank you. It's... That's very generous of you."

"You're welcome. Well... I gotta go! I see you two tomorrow!", she said, putting her cap on her head and her bag on her shoulder.

"See you tomorrow Rizzo!", Lorie replied, with a big smile on her face, so proud with Jane's 'Red Sox' cap on her head.

"Drive safe back home!" Jane added, before exiting the hotel through the back door.

_"Some day my prince will come, Some day I'll find my love, And how thrilling that moment will be, When the prince of my dreams comes to_ me."

"Oh Mommy, it's Snow White's song! Can we go visit the Sleeping Beauty's Castle before leaving please?"

Maura caught herself looking at the spot where the soccer player had disappeared. "Uh... yes, sure we can. Okay let's go!"

"Yee-haawww!", the little exclaimed, jumping for joy.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	2. Let's Go Rizzo Let's Go

_**Thank you so much everyone for reading, following, favoriting and loving the first chapter of my first R&I story! Thanks a lot also for your great reviews. It means a lot to me.**_

_**I like reading scripts, so I chose to write fanfictions as if I was writing episodes more than chapters. Besides, I want to let your imagination flow, means I will not tell you on purpose what the characters are thinking or their point of view (ie. "Maura caught herself looking at the spot where the soccer player had disappeared. " What was she thinking about? We don't know... well I do ;)). Sometimes (not always), you will get answers in the following chapters. So, feel free to ask questions! **_

_**Enjoy chapter 2! :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 2. "Let's Go Rizzo Let's Go"**

* * *

_**Carson – StubHub Center – Sunday, 3:45pm**_

"Mommy! Row K seats 8 and 9… It's right here!"

"Great! Okay, go sit down, I'm coming!" Maura said, walking down the stairs slowly. Wearing high heels in a stadium was definitely very challenging.

A few seconds later, she finally reached her seat. "Doctor Isles?" The surgeon looked up and saw a woman in her fifties, standing up next to Lorie, grinning broadly.

"Yes?"

"Hello! I'm Angela Rizzoli, Jane's mom. I'm so happy to meet you."

"Ooh, hello! Nice to meet you too, Mrs Rizzoli", she replied, shaking her hand.

"Oh please, call me Angela."

"Hello, my name is Lorie Isles, but you can call me Lorizzo", the little girl said, holding out her hand to her.

Angela and Maura smiled. "Hello Lorizzo!", the older woman said, shaking her hand, "I'm happy to meet you too. Janie told me you wanted to be a Rizzoli girl like her?" Lorie turned beet red and looked down. "Well, I can tell you that you really look like my little Janie when she was your age."

"Really?", she said, looking at her with a big smile on her face. "Jane gave me her 'Red Sox' cap!"

"Your daughter has been very generous with Lorie yesterday", Maura added.

"Janie likes making kids happy, especially the ones who love her. But she's not the only one. I read you care a lot about children, Doctor."

"Please, call me Maura!"

"I'm very impressed by your career and accomplishments. Everything you've done and what you wanna do for women and children is pure goodness and… kindness… Actually, it's hard to say. There isn't a word strong enough to describe everything you do."

"Wow… Thank you very much, Angela", she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I had always dreamed that one of my children would love to be a doctor, but unfortunately, the first one, my only daughter, chose to be a soccer player, the second one, my son Frankie, is a police officer and my youngest son, Tommy, became a Chef."

"Mommy! Look! Jane's on the field! LET'S GO RIZZO LET'S GO! LET'S GO RIZZO LET'S GO!", she was singing.

Maura felt embarrassed and laughed, blushing.

"She's really into soccer, isn't she?", Angela asked, with a smile.

"Yes, she is. As she says, she wants to be a 'Rizzoli'… means a professional soccer player as talented as your daughter."

"Does she play soccer?"

"She plays at school, but I'm sure she'd be more than happy to join a soccer club."

"You should talk to Jane about it. She'll give you some very good advice."

"OHE OHE OHE OHE… RIZZO…. RIIZZOOO… OHE OHE OHE OHE… RIZZO…. RIIZZOOO… COME ONNN RIZZOOO!"

Maura smiled. "It's her first time… her first match. She's never seen Jane playing for real so…"

"You don't have to excuse your daughter's behavior, especially in a stadium, you know... The day you'll see my three children watching the Red Sox on TV, I can tell you, I'll be the one to be sorry, trust me..."

"GOOAAALLLL JANE SCORED MOMMY! LET'S GO RIZZOOO LET'S GOOO!"

"So, I read you're gonna move out to Boston next month?"

"Yes… My mother will retire on May 31 and I'm expected to be at the Foundation on May 20. So I talked to Lorie's school principal. He told me she should be a grade ahead of her age, in Grade 2. So, there won't be any problem at all for her to skip school before the end of the trimester. But honestly I _am not_ ready. I have a lot of things to do, to think about, to set up... I took the weekend off, but actually I should be working right now."

"Don't feel guilty, Maura. You're not only a doctor, but also a mom and a woman. Don't forget it! You made your little girl's dream come true this weekend. Now… you should be… selfish a little… I read you were a single mom?!…" The doctor nodded. "No Mr Love?!" Maura did not answer. "I-I'm sorry… It's none of my business, I shouldn't have asked you that."

The surgeon blushed, smiling lightly. "I don't do relationships…" Angela stayed quiet, looking at her with confused eyes. "I-It's… it's complicated", she added.

"Anyways… If you need someone in Boston to babysit your daughter, you can count on me, Maura." She opened her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. "Here is my cell phone number. You'll be more than welcome to call or text me anytime you want."

"Thank you so much, Angela. It's really nice of you. I do appreciate it."

"I'm sure Lorie will like my little TJ… Tommy Junior. He's my first grandchild, but I hope Janie and Frankie will follow their brother's example soon."

"GOOAAALLLL! MOMMY JANE SCORED AGAIN! BRAVOOO RIZZOOO! 2-0! LET'S GO RIZZOOO LET'S GOOO!"

* * *

_**Carson – StubHub Center – At the restaurant - Sunday, 6:45pm**_

Final score 6-0 - The US team joined all the guests in the restaurant of the stadium, before sitting down for an all-you-can-eat buffet. Jane Rizzoli was talking with Carli Lloyd, but she couldn't help but burst out laughing when she saw Abby Wambach, making funny faces.

"So Rizzo…, who's the hot blonde model with this mini-you? Isn't she the one you were talking to yesterday?", Abby asked.

"Doctor Isles. She's the Chief of Surgery at the LA Children's Hospital, and the Head of the Isles Foundation in Boston… And this little girl is her daughter, Lorie."

"Wow Rizzo…I knew you were into models, but I didn't know you also liked playing 'doctor'?" she said, with a smile.

"_I'm not_! Besides, I don't date straight women…"

"Who was talking about dating?" Her teammate could not help tease her with the 'doctor' jokes.

"Haha very funny…"

"By the way, what about Jessie?"

"She called me and texted me twice two days ago."

"And?"

"And nothing! She reached my voicemail and I didn't text back."

"What did she tell you?"

"Always the same… 'I'm really sorry. It didn't mean anything. I'm still in love with you. Please forgive me…' and blablabla", she said, imitating her ex-girlfriend, making her raspy voice so girly. "It's an old story for me now… She shitted on me, she broke my heart, period. And you? How are things doing with Sarah?"

"Perfectly fine!"

"Great!... Okay, I'm gonna see my Ma. See ya!"

"Have fun!", she said, grinning.

Jane rolled her eyes, stood up and headed toward her Ma's table.

"…she stopped wearing red socks when she was 10", Angela said, and Lorie giggled.

"Oh my gosh…" Jane sighed, when she heard her last words.

"Aahhh finally!", Angela exclaimed. "The superstar deigns to spend some time with the woman who gave birth to her thirty-four years ago and this brilliant doctor and her little cute baby girl. Thank you Janie!"

"_Maaa_!", she grumbled, glaring at her.

"What? I'm just saying the truth."

Maura looked down at her salad, smiling. Sitting next to her mom, Lorie was highly impressed, looking at all these soccer stars. "So Lorie, did you like the match?"

"Oh yes… You played super well. I didn't stop supporting you!"

"I think I heard you: 'Let's go Rizzo let's go!', it was you, huh?"

"Y-Yes… You heard me!?", she blushed, happily.

"Yeah I did… Thank you! It helped me score my four goals today."

"R-Really? It helped you?!"

"Huh-uh…", she confirmed, with a smile.

"Did you hear that Mommy? I helped Jane Rizzoli score her goals!", she said, with arms up in victory.

"Yes, I heard it. Now eat your steak before it gets cold", she said, turning her baseball cap back-to-front.

"I hope one day I'll score as many goals as you."

"Do you play soccer?"

"At school, yes. We have a match next weekend against another school".

"Don't you wanna join a club?"

Lorie nodded and ate another piece of meat.

"Janie! Let this little girl eat her steak now!", Angela reprimanded her.

"Oh huh…", the doctor said, "Do you have any advice for us about it? I don't know any soccer club in Boston and… Lorie will turn 7 next month, is it too soon to start playing soccer?"

"No… It's the perfect age I would say… huh… Which school will she go to?"

Maura felt guilty and embarrassed at the question. "A-Actually… huh… I was so busy these days I didn't have time to find a school. I-I know it's late and I should have thought about it earlier but… I've been called to replace my mother two months ago and…"

"It's okay, Doc! I get it!… You know, it's not my place to judge you or whatever… You don't have to justify yourself. Besides, you already explained everything in Doctormag, so…", she said, offering her a comforting smile.

"You read Doctormag! When?", Angela asked, astonished.

"Last week, Ma…", she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well… huh… Doctor… Does she run fast? Is she good with the ball?"

"Honestly I-I don't know… I've never seen her play."

"Well… I think you know I'm about to launch my academy in August. Well, there's no place left but uh… if she's good I can talk to my co-manager, Vince Korsak, and make an exception. Lorie told me she was in Grade 1…"

"Yes, she is, but I talked to her school principal, and he told me she should be a grade ahead of her age, I mean in Grade 2."

"Good!"

"Well… Can you tell me more about your academy?"

"I'll give you Vince's phone number and he'll explain you everything in details. But to make it short, the academy welcomes ten groups from U7 to U18…"

"From U7 to U18?", the doctor frowned.

"I mean _Under_ 7 to _Under_ 18", Maura nodded, "The junior academy provides the developmental bridge between recreational soccer and competitive soccer. Besides, all teachers we hire are not only highly qualified, but also open-minded, passionate and patient with kids, because I think that 'there are no bad students, but bad teachers'. Kids will learn respect and how to live in love and peace no matter gender, skin color or sexual orientation. All these things are extremely important to me. They also have to understand that to reach their goals, they have to work hard. So, to stay at the academy, we require a GPA of 3.0 or higher. And… if things are going well, we plan to build dorm rooms for teens in the near future."

Maura was listening to Jane carefully. She was very impressed. "Well… Wow… I mean… Your academy seems to be perfect."

"I hope it will…"

"So, do you think you can accept Lorie?"

"She has a match next weekend!?"

"Yes, her school will play against another LA school on Saturday at 2pm."

"Will you be there?"

"I… huh… No… Unfortunately I can't… I've got two delicate surgeries scheduled on Saturday. Francesca, the nanny, will go with her."

Jane took her cell phone out of her pocket and opened the calendar application. "I'm free next Saturday. I don't have any training sessions next weekend. So, I'll come on Sat and I'll bring my camcorder with me. That way, you'll be able to watch your daughter when you're back home."

"Jane… You don't have to…", she sighed, a bit uncomfortable.

"It's okay!", she cut her off. "Besides, I can't accept her at the academy without seeing her play. I had to reject more than two hundred kids who didn't pass the test three months ago. So, it wouldn't be fair towards them."

"Yes, you're right but… Look, I don't want you to ruin your weekend for us… It's…"

"Don't worry Doc, it's okay!"

"You're gonna see me play?" Lorie asked, dropping her jaw in surprise."

"Yes I am, kiddo. I need to see how good you are."

"Why?", she frowned.

"Janie, don't put some pressure on this little girl, she's only 6!", Angela reproached her.

"Because, if you're very good, you'll go to my school and my friends will teach you how to be a Rizzoli girl like me", she said, smirking at her. Lorie turned red and looked down at her empty plate. "But I'm sure you'll be the best next weekend!"

The little brunette looked up with a big smile on her face. "I will Rizzo!"

"Great! Uh… Doctor, could you please give me the address of her school?"

"Oh yes, of course", she replied, opening her purse to pull out a pen.

"Rizzo!", said Carli Lloyd, Jane's Flash teammate, "Sorry but we have to catch our flight to New York at 9:30! Abby called a cab. We have to go now!"

"Oh okay! I'm coming! See ya outside!"

"'Kay!"

Jane, Maura and Angela stood up. "Well…", said the Italo-American player, "Lorie, I see you next weekend okay?"

"Okay!", she said, before running into her arms to give her a kiss on her cheek.

"Wow, goodbye to you too!" She smiled, turning Lorie's 'Red Sox' cap back. "Ma, I see you on Wednesday?"

"Okay, Janie! Take care of yourself and tell Jessie she can go f… fool herself…"

"_Maaa_!", she sighed deeply, rolling her eyes. "How do you know that? Did you coax Frankie into telling you anything… again?"

"_Meee_! Nooo never! You know me, Janie, I would never do that!"

"Yes, it's precisely because I know you that I asked you this question."

"Well, I care about you, sweetie, and I always told you I never trusted her. She used you and..."

"Maaa _please_. I don't need more advertising right now."

"Okay… _Sorry_!"

"Have a safe trip back home, okay? And thanks for coming today!"

"Take care baby!", the older woman put her in a bear hug in a flash.

"_Maaa_", Jane said, pulling away from her embrace. Then, she turned around and looked at the surgeon. "Well… huh… Doctor… It was… nice to meet you and your kiddo… Well, I guess I won't see you next weekend so… I'll send a copy of the match on DVD to your attention at the hospital, and I'll let you know what we'll have decided."

"Thank you! Here is the address of Lorie's school and… this is my cell phone number if you need further information for your academy."

"Okay thanks! I'll text you Vince's phone number tonight. The academy is open from 8am to 5pm daily, but not on Sundays."

"Good!... Huh… Thank you very much Jane… again. I do appreciate everything you do for Lorie!"

"You're welcome, Doc! If I can help kids or make them happy, I'll always do it!"

She nodded, with a smile. "Oh, and please, call me Maura."

It was Jane's turn to nod at her. "Ciao Signore!", she said to them, picking up her sport bag and grabbing her suitcase.

Lorie waved at her, "Ciao Rizzo!"

Jane smiled and waved back at her.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	3. Who's Her Father?

_**Thank you very much for your reviews! :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 3. "****Who's Her Father?****"**

* * *

**_Rochester, NY – Jane's apartment – Monday, April 8, 2013 - 7:20pm_**

"No Ma! I'm not saying I don't wanna come to see you, I'm saying I can't go to Boston on Wednesday. The schedule's changed. We're gonna play a friendly match against Seattle Reign at 7pm..." Sitting on the couch, Jane was checking her emails on her laptop at the same time. "Wait Ma, I don't hear you, I put you on speaker!..."

_"__I ask you if you're still going to LA."_

"Yes, of course. I need to see Lorie playing. Why?"

_"__You said your schedule's changed…"_

"Well uh… Yes… No… It's okay! Actually our first match against the Blues is now scheduled at 6pm on Sunday in Piscataway. I told them I wouldn't be able to train with them on Sat., but I'd be back on Sunday morning… Ma, I'll come to see you next Wednesday, okay?"

_"__Okay fine… Don't tell me you let your team down to go see Lorie play?"_, she said, smiling.

"I don't let anybody down… It's just a training session, Ma."

_"__So… What do you think about Maura?"_

"What?" Jane frowned. "What do you mean?", she said, clicking on the 'browser' icon on the desktop.

_"__Well, she seems to be… a __really __nice person__, don't you think?"_

"To me, she seems to be really busy", she answered, while she was typing 'google(dat)com' on the address bar.

_"__Jane… It's not easy to be a mom you know, especially when you work hard everyday. When you have children of your own, you'll understand."_

"Ma, I wasn't judging her. Besides, I didn't talk to her that much", she said typing 'maura isles' in the Google search box.

_"__If you hadn't spent most of your time with your teammates, you might have learned more about her."_

"Maa", she grumbled. "What did she tell you?", she asked, pressing 'Enter' on the keyboard.

_"__Well… We talked about her job in LA, her Foundation, her daughter, her biological mother Doctor Hope Martin, and her adoptive mother Constance __Isles. I didn't know they were friends. Actually, Mrs Isles is a famous artist in Europe __and Doctor Martin took over the Isles Foundation when her adoptive father, Doctor Morris Isles, died eight years ago… They decided to…"_

While she was listening to her mother, she was scrolling through the Google search results: "Dr. Maura Dorthea Isles: Born: August 7, 1976, Boston, MA". "Maura Isles & Garrett Fairfield Engaged". "Isles & Fairfield: Love Marriage Or Marriage Of Convenience?". "Isles & Fairfield: Wedding Cancelled!". "Isles Medical Center In Namibia". "Dr. Maura Isles: Back From Africa With A Baby". "Dr. Maura Isles: Chief Of Surgery In LA". "Dr. Martin To Retire To Namibia". "Dr. Maura Isles: How To Mix Children & Career". "Dr. Maura Isles: Head Of The Foundation"…

_"__Jane, are you listening to me?"_, Angela said, louder.

"_Yees_, Ma!"

_"__Okay so, tell me what I was saying?"_

She sighed. "You were saying she was single…"

_"__No I was saying she wasn't dat… Actually she told me she didn't do relationships, which is kind of weird considering she was engaged to Garrett Fairfield and she has a daughter."_

"Maybe she meant she didn't do relationships _anymore_."

_"__I don't know but when I asked her if there was a 'Mr Love', she answered…"_

"_You what? Maaaa!_ Did you really say that?", she cut her off, shocked.

_"__What? What's wrong with that?"_, the older woman, replied, surprised.

"Ma, you can't ask this kind of personal question to someone you're not close to."

_"__Well, she told me it was complicated!"_

"So what?"

_"__So what? Don't you get it?"_

"Get what Ma?", she said a bit impatient.

_"__Maura might be not-so-straight, Janie…"_

"Oh no… I can't believe you've just said that…", she sighed deeply, putting her head in her hands.

_"__Well…, maybe you need to reboot your gaydar, and then you'd see that…"_

"_Maa_, stop _please_! I've just put an end to a two-year relationship with a bitch not-so-gay, so I'm not ready yet to start dating someone else, not-so-straight, who doesn't do relationships anymore. Anyway, I don't wanna talk about it."

_"__Okay… okay… We'll talk about it another day…"_

"Did she tell you who Lorie's father was?"

_"__I thought you didn't wanna talk about it?!"_

"I didn't say I didn't wanna talk about Maura anymore…"

_"__I don't know who Lorie's father is. She never said anything about it. Maybe she was artificially inseminated with an anonymous donor's sperm…"_

"_Maa!_"

_"__What? Janie, you asked me who her daughter's father was, I answered your question."_

"Okaayyy… Well, I gotta go. I wake up at 6am."

_"__Okay sweetie! Take care of yourself!"_

"Thanks Ma! You too! Please, tell Frankie and Tommy I said 'hi'!"

_"__I will! Bye Janie!"_

"Ciao Ma!"

* * *

**_Beverly Hills, CA_****_ – _****_GrassoSchool_****_ – _****_Saturday, April 13, 2013_****_- 1:40pm_**

Jane got out of the cab and walked up the steps of the front porch.

"Good afternoon, Madam. May I help you?", said the woman behind the reception desk.

"Oh, yes, hello", she answered, putting her sunglasses in her hair. "Uh… There's a soccer match today between Grades 1, and I came to see…"

"Rizzooo…", said a little voice. Jane turned around and bent down to catch Lorie who was running toward her.

"Hey! You look great with your soccer outfit … So ready buddy?"

"Always!", she nodded with a grin.

"Great!"

Jane stood up and faced the little girl's nanny, smiling.

"Buon pomeriggio Jane ! Piacere di conoscerla." (Good afternoon Jane! It's nice to meet you.)

"Buon pomeriggio Francesca ! Piacere." (Good afternoon Francesca! Nice to meet you.)

"Grazie mille per essere venuta. Significa molto per Lorie." (Thanks a lot for coming. It means a lot to Lorie.)

"Non c'è di che…" (You're welcome), she replied with a smile. "Come sta Maura ?" (How is Maura?)

"Maura è molto occupata, ma sta bene. Grazie. " (Maura is very busy, but she's fine. Thank you.)

"Rizzo, did you bring your camcorder?"

"Yep kiddo! I don't wanna miss anything."

"Players on the field, please!", the referee said.

"Let's go Lorizzo!", Jane said, before rubbing the top of her head. "Come on!"

"Buona fortuna tesoro !" (Good luck sweetie!), her nanny said.

Jane and Francesca sat down just behind the substitutes' benches. The duration of a match for kids under 7 was a bit different. It was divided into four equal, twelve minute quarters. There was a two minute break between quarters one and two, three and four, with a half-time interval of five minutes.

Lorie was very nervous in the beginning. Twenty-six minutes later, the referee blew for half-time. The score was still 0-0. Kids walked to the benches and sat down. Francesca went to give the little brunette some orange juice and cookies. Jane had stopped filming and took some pictures instead with her cell phone.

"Jane Rizzoli?" The soccer player turned around, hearing a woman's voice say her name. "Uh… Hello… Sorry, my name is Kristin Anderson, I'm Lorie's teacher", she said with a smile, holding out her hand to her.

"Oh… Hello, nice to meet you", she said, shaking her hand.

Miss Anderson was a beautiful woman in her thirties, with long Venetian blonde hair and green eyes. "Nice to meet you too. Lorie told me you'd be there. She's really looking forward to going to your academy, you know... So what do you think? She moves well, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does… But I'm sure she can do better than that."

"She was very nervous yesterday. She told me she wanted to be the best today and score four goals like you did last week… I guess she wants to impress you, but she puts too much pressure on herself."

"Yes, I know…"

"She told us she aspired to become a professional soccer player just like you."

"A Rizzoli girl like me?", she smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"So… Shouldn't you play with your team in New Jersey today?", she asked, with a playful smile.

"I'm gonna miss the training session today, but I'll be back in time to play the match tomorrow night. It's the only opportunity I have to see Lorie play before the end of the school year, so I also think of the future."

"Lorie's very advanced for her age in all areas. Maura does a great job with her daughter", she said thoughtfully, looking away.

Jane frowned, glancing at her. "Yes, she does…"

"We're going to miss her…", she added, in a whisper.

"Mommyyy!", Lorie shouted, waving at her mother who was coming toward them.

Maura was stunning, wearing a spring green dress, ending slightly above the knees, with her long blonde hair nicely curled to frame her face. Jane's jaw almost dropped.

"Good afternoon!", the doctor said, with a smile.

"Good afternoon Maura! Wow you're…", said Kristin.

"Hello Kris!", she cut her off, blushing a little.

"Ready girls for the second half?" The referee called them.

"Hello!", Jane replied, looking at the two women suspiciously, before focusing on her camrecorder.

"Hello Jane!" The soccer player started to film again.

"I thought you were too busy to come today", the teacher asked.

"Well, one of the surgeries has been delayed to next week, so I left the hospital as soon as I could... How are things going? How's Lorie?", she said louder, trying to catch Jane's attention who was glued to the small screen.

"She's fine!", Kristin replied, when she realized that Maura was waiting for the soccer player to answer. "Uh… Maura… You can stay after the match!?"

The surgeon nodded. "I'll be there!"

"Hello Maura! I'm glad to see that you've been able to make to be here with us today", Francesca said.

"Hello Francesca! We had to delay the second surgery… Everything's fine? How's Lorie?"

"Lorie's stressed out. She's very nervous… She told me she didn't play well during the first half, so she… she was crying a little bit on the bench. She thinks that… she disappointed _her_", she said, glancing at Jane.

"Oh…", she said, biting her lower lip. The doctor looked at her daughter who was taking her place at forward. "Come on, Lorie! Come on sweetie! You can do it!"

Jane smiled in front of the screen. Maura and Francesca went and sat next to the soccer star who tried to catch all the actions of the match. The surgeon wanted to talk to her, but she realized that everything would be recorded. So, she decided to wait for the next two minute break.

Ten minutes later, Jane pushed the 'stop' button.

"So, what do you think about her game?", Maura asked her, with apprehension.

"She's too nervous."

"She wants to impress you", she replied right away.

"I know…", she sighed, "I'm gonna talk to her. Can you keep an eye on my camcorder, please?"

"Sure!"

"Thanks!", she said, holding it to her. Then, she stood up and headed to the bench to find Lorie. The little girl was looking at her shoes, sadly. "Lorie!... Lorie, please come here!" The older brunette then walked away to stand only thirteen feet away from Maura and Francesca. Hearing Jane call her name, she went to see her. "Come on buddy!" The soccer star knelt down in front of her.

"Lorie, look at me!" The doctor's daughter looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "Okay…", she sighed deeply, "First thing: I want you to stop crying. Second thing: stop thinking about me. You have to focus on your match and on your teammates. They need you. There are twelve minutes left. You have twelve minutes to help your team win this match. The most important thing right now is not me, Lorie, it's your team. So look at your teammates, where they are, where the goalkeeper is. If you can go straight to the box, just do it. You've already scored goals, so you know how to do it." Lorie nodded. "If you wanna be the captain of your team like me, you have to motivate them, to tell them you're gonna win this fu… fairy match. If you watched my matches, just remember what I do; remember how I behave on the field. If you wanna be a Rizzoli girl like me, be a warrior! A warrior never gives up! You have to fight until the final whistle is blown. So, go back on the field and go for it! _Okay_?" Lorie nodded firmly. "What? I didn't hear you."

"Okay", said the little girl, shyly.

"_I don't hear you_", Jane repeated, louder.

"_Okay!_" Lorie answered louder, smiling.

"Great! Now give me a high five and go back on the field!" Jane said, raising her hand.

Lorie raised her hand as well, and slapped the flat of her palm against hers.

"Okay girls, it's time! Last quarter! Let's go!", said the referee.

The little Isles ran toward the field. "Let's gooo!", she said to her teammates.

Jane stood up and turned to go back to her seat, when she saw Maura pushed the 'stop' button of the camcorder, wiping her tears away with her thumb.

The soccer star smiled. "Like mother like daughter, uh?"

"I'm sorry… I wanted to record this and… what you told her... well I want her to remember this… her first match with you."

"Don't be sorry! I was just… teasing you… Arh gosh, I hate to see a woman cry…"

The last quarter was underway. Lorie quickly regained confidence. She was running fast with the ball. She followed Jane's advice and paid attention to the game. Two minutes later, Lorizzo crossed the ball forward to one of her teammates and assisted the first goal. Grasso 1-0. All little players yelled and threw their arms up in victory.

"Yeessss!", said Jane angrily, punching the air, while her other hand was filming the scene. Maura applauded, smiling.

Three minutes later, Lorie broke past the defender and continued alone toward the goal and scored.

"Yeahhhh! Let's go Lorizzo!", the soccer star shouted, punching the air again.

Maura looked at her and smiled when she saw the 'record' button was still pressed. "Well done Lorie! Come on!", the doctor said louder, when her daughter walked back to the center circle. The little Isles did not glance at her mother or at Jane. She focused on the ball in the center spot. "Come on girls!", she encouraged her teammates. The older brunette smirked at her and nodded in agreement.

In the last minute, Lorie got past an opponent, made a short pass to her teammate who avoided a defender and gave the ball back to Lorizzo. The little brunette lost her marker, kicked the ball and scored her second goal.

"Yee-haawww", yelled Jane. "Great job, Lorizzo!"

Then, the final whistle was blown. GrassoSchool won 3-0. The girls celebrated their victory. Maura and Francesca with all the crowd stood up and applauded. Jane filmed the girls as they returned to the bench, then pressed the 'stop' button.

"Soo…?", Maura asked the US soccer star, smiling.

"Lorie learns fast."

"So, does it mean you accept her at your academy?"

"It means she might be the best at my academy", she answered, looking at her, with a grin.

The surgeon looked away, smiling.

"Vince told me he had sent you the Academy application."

"Yes… I… Actually, I've already filled it out… just in case… but… I need to talk to you about it…"

"Yes, sure…"

"No, I mean… in private."

Jane frowned. "Ok-ay… What's wrong?"

"There are… certain… piece of information…", she sighed, "any personal information must remain secret…"

"Uh… yeah sure… I mean of course…"

"Hey Rizzo we won!", shouted Lorie, running toward them.

"Yep kiddo! I'm proud of you and your team."

"You are?", she said, with a huge grin splitting her face.

"Yes, I am… Welcome to the Jane Rizzoli Academy, Lorie Isles!"

"I'm…I'm…"

"Yes, you passed the test!", she said, smiling.

"Mommy!", she said, running toward her mother. Maura knelt down and put her in a bear hug. "Congratulations sweetie! I'm really proud of you", she said, before kissing her on the top of her head.

"Thank you, Mommy! I'm so happy you came. I love you!"

"I love you too, baby girl. You can say 'thank you' to Jane as well, you know…"

"Thank you Rizzo", she said, resting in her mother's arms.

"You're welcome!"

"Rizzo? Are you gonna stay with us tonight? Please, we have our annual school party", the little brunette asked, joyfully.

"I can't kiddo. I have to catch my flight to New York at 10:25 tonight."

"Oh…", she replied sadly, looking down.

"I play against the Blues at 6 tomorrow, remember?" Lorie nodded. "Anyway, you're with your mom, Kristin and Francesca. You won't be alone. And we'll see each other soon, okay?"

"Okay!.. You see, I don't cry!"

"Yes I see... You're a big girl now", she said with a smile, rubbing the top of her head.

"Lorie, I have to go back home to give Jane your Academy application I filled out yesterday, before she leaves. You're going to stay here with Francesca. I'll be back later, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy! Hey Rizzo, when are we gonna see each other again?"

"I told you… soon, I promise!"

"Okay! Good luck for your match tomorrow!"

"Thanks buddy! See ya!"

"Ciao Rizzo!..."

"Francesca, è stato un piacere fare la sua conoscenza." (Francesca, it was nice meeting you.)

"Anche per me Jane, è stato un vero piacere conoscerti ! Buona fortuna per la tua partita di domani !" (It was nice meeting you too Jane ! Good luck for your match tomorrow!)

"Grazie mille !" Jane was going to walk toward Maura, when she saw the surgeon talking with Kristin, before looking up at her. The soccer star then moved toward them.

"…Are you sure you want to tell her?...", said Kristin to the doctor. Then she turned to face the brunette. "It was nice meeting you, Jane", she added, with a smile.

"Nice meeting you too!", she said, thoughtfully.

"Okay! Let's go!", Maura said to the brunette.

They left the school and headed to the parking lot. "We're going to take my car and I'll drive you back to your hotel."

"Okay thanks! I'm sorry… I didn't mean to interrupt you and… Kristin."

"Oh no! It's okay! I told her I had to talk to you about the application and I'd come back later."

"She seems to be very…", Jane started saying, when Maura used the remote control to unlock the doors of her car. "_Fuuccckkkkk! It's yours!_", she exclaimed, staring at the grey Aston Martin Vanquish.

"Yes, it's mine!", she said, astonished. "It's the 2012 Aston Martin Vanquish. It uses the new Generation 4 VH chassis which is lighter and…"

"Okay thanks…", she cut off her. "Wow… I didn't know you were into… sport cars!"

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Jane…", she replied, smiling. "But to answer your question, yes…, I like sport cars and motorcycles."

"Don't tell me you have a bike too!", she said. Her eyes were wide open in surprise.

"Yes, I do. More precisely, it's a Harley Davidson cruiser. But I can't drive it with Lorie."

"I-I… just can't believe it!" she laughed.

"It's not because I'm a woman I can't drive a Harley Davidson, Jane."

"No, no I didn't mean… It's just… You always looked like you were about to do a photoshoot, so it's… arh forget it!", she said, getting in the car.

Maura smiled, looking away.

* * *

**_Beverly Hills, CA – Maura's house – Saturday, April 13, 2013 - 4:52pm_**

Twenty minutes later, Maura opened the front door. "Come on in!"

"Wow… Nice house!", Jane looked around, impressed.

"Thank you!... I bought it seven years ago when I came back to the US", she said, closing the door.

"Well, beautiful investment!" The soccer star headed toward the couch and put her backpack on the floor. "I'll burn the video on DVD, and I'll send it to you as soon as I can."

"It'd be great if you could watch it with Lorie. You'll be able to tell her what she did wrong and what she did well."

"Yep, it'd be great!"

"Well, we have to go to Boston to buy a house in Beacon Hill in three weeks, on Saturday, May 4th. If you're free, maybe we'll be able to see each other there."

Jane took her cell phone out of her pocket. "Yep! I'm free in three weeks. I don't have any match. So… yes, I'm in!"

"Great!", she said, walking toward the kitchen.

"Actually, we can go to my Ma's. You'll meet my bros and my nephew, and we'll watch the video all together. Ma'll be more than happy to see you again... And you can stay at her place with us! There's a guest room left."

The doctor had stopped at the doorway and turned around. "Jane, I'd love to, but I wouldn't want to impose on your mother or take advantage of her kindness."

"Don't worry! If she knows you plan to go to Boston, she'll tell you the same thing. I'll call her tomorrow."

"Well, thank you very much."

"You're welcome!"

"So… Would you like something to drink? Wine? Beer? Multivitamins fruit juice? Orange juice? Apple juice? Pineapple juice? Abricot juice? Tomato…"

"A beer will be fine, thanks!", she cut her off, smiling, and sat down on the couch.

"Did you know that the moderate consumption of alcohol, including beer, is associated with a decreased risk of cardiac disease, stroke and cognitive decline? But, of course, the long term health effects of continuous, heavy alcohol consumption can include the risk of developing alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease."

"Are you the owner of Wikipedia or something?"

"Certainly not! Wikipedia is not a reliable source, Jane. Information is contributed by anyone who wants to post material, so you should be extremely cautious about using this website", she said, coming back from the kitchen, holding a beer, a glass and a glass of wine.

"Thanks! Oh, it's okay, I don't need a glass. I'll just drink from the bottle. So… What did you wanna talk to me about?"

Maura put her glass of wine on the coffee table and headed to her desk. Then she came back with the Academy application in her hands, and sat down next to her.

"I want to talk to you about your academy's privacy policy."

"What do you mean?"

"It is written that… 'Incomplete application forms will be returned to the student and will not be processed until fully completed'."

"And?..."

"And…", she sighed, "I need to be assured that… any personal information is handled with respect and confidentiality. I mean… if journalists… medias… or whoever comes in contact with your academy to get details about Lorie's application, I want to be assured that anybody at the academy will answer any of their questions."

"Maura… It is strictly forbidden to - publicly or not - disclose personal information about the students or their parents. But... well, if it can make you feel better, I can keep Lorie's application in the safe of the academy."

"Well… Yes, I'd love that! Thank you!", she said, worriedly.

Jane stared at her thoughtfully. "If I may ask you…, what are you afraid of?"

"Impacts… on my family, on the Foundation, on the medical center… But above all, it may affect Lorie… I don't want to hit the headlines again."

"How… I mean why?", she asked. The surgeon put her head in her hands, but did not answer. "Look, if you don't wanna tell me, it's okay…"

"No… It's just that… You have to promise me not to tell anyone… I mean _anyone_ about what I'm going to tell you now."

"Listen… I'm gay. I'm a lesbian, okay. No one knows except my family and my close friends.. and my exes but they're models who won't come out. If you make this information public, I may lose my main sponsors and it may affect my family and the academy."

Maura smiled lightly. "Jane, I'm bound by medical confidentiality or professional secrecy… You'd be able to sue me and you'd win. But I do appreciate your trust."

After a few seconds, the doctor finally broke the silence. "Well… It's about Lorie's father." The soccer star looked at her, concerned. "His name's NovakDrobnjakovic. He's Serbo-Italian. He's 41 years old. He's a doctor without borders and he's currently the Head of the Isles Medical Center in Namibia. He's healthy, athletic, handsome, sweet, gentle and he's a good father to Lorie."

"So what? What's wrong? What's the problem?" the brunette asked, a little bit annoyed.

"He's gay! I...", she sighed deeply, "I was artificially inseminated with his sperm."

"Oh!...", she said, surprised. "Does… uh… does Lorie know?"

"What? That he's gay?"

"No… Yes… Well, does she know who her father is?"

"Yes, of course. I told you he was a good father to her. And no, she doesn't know anything about he's sexual orientation."

"S-sorry, it's just that… I'm pretty surprised actually. Why did you choose to be inseminated? I mean it's not like you don't love men or something… or…"

"It's complicated", she cut her off.

"But how did you manage to hide your pregnancy without being overwhelmed by paparazzi?"

"After cancelling my wedding, I went to Europe, to Italy, to live with my adoptive mother, and I finished my medical studies in Rome. I met Novak at the University and we became very good friends. To make it short, we talked about having children, and we went to Malta. I was artificially inseminated with his sperm and I got pregnant on the first try. Then we went to Africa to Namibia to work for my father's Medical Center, and nine months later, we went back to Rome for me to give birth to Lorie. Novak stayed with us three weeks, before going back to Namibia. I went back then to the US, to LA."

"Why didn't you go back with him?"

"We decided it'd be better for Lorie to go to the US, for her health and her education."

"So… You said you wanted your daughter's father's name to remain secret, but what does Lorie say when people ask her questions about him?"

"Well, she knows he's a doctor without borders who treats sick children in Africa. She calls him 'daddy' or Stefan, his middle name, but she doesn't know how to pronounce his last name, Drobnjakovic."

"Drob- what? Drob-kaw-ish?", she frowned.

"No… Drrob-nia-ko-vitch… It's Serbian."

"You speak Serbian!?"

"Yes…, I speak a few languages."

"How many?"

"Well, apart from English, I speak fluent Italian, Serbian and French."

"Wow… So… It's not Lorie Isles but Drob…vitch actually?"

"Drobnjakovic, and no, she's an Isles. She got my last name."

"You said he was a good father. But does Lorie see him or spend time with him?"

"With Skype, yes. We video chat once a week to keep in touch. Sometimes he calls back when Lorie's at school and we can talk about our lives. He always sends her a birthday card and a card for Christmas. He said he'll come to see us next year."

"I'd say he's a good virtual father… Does he have a boyfriend?"

"He has a crush on a Spanish surgeon, but no… he's currently single."

"Who knows he's Lori's father?"

"Well…, my biological mother, his mother, Francesca, Kristin… and you."

"You told Kristin about him?"

"Yes, I had to. She's Lorie's teacher. Why?"

"Lorie's teacher, uh?", Jane smiled, looking away.

"What?"

"Oh come on… Isn't she more than that?"

"She's not my girlfriend if it's what you're thinking of..." The soccer player laughed. "I can't lie, Jane!"

"What?", she frowned.

"Vasovagal syncope"

"Vaso… what?"

"Vasovagal syncope is one of the most common causes of fainting. It occurs when my body overreacts to certain triggers, such as an extreme emotional distress or when I lie."

"And in the 'I'm Not A Doctor For Dummies' book, what does it mean?"

The surgeon smiled. "I break out in hives and I start to hyperventilate."

"So, nothing's going on between the two of you?", she smirked at her.

Maura breathed deeply, slowly. "We slept together…just once, but I'm not in love with her."

"So, you're gay?", she said, with a grin.

"I'm not into labels… Well…, may you have a look at the application form please and tell me if everything's okay? I'm really sorry but I'll have to go back to Lori's school for the party", she said, taking her glass back to the kitchen with Jane's empty bottle.

"Yep okay!... Oh gosh it's already 6:05pm!", she said, glancing at her watch.

"I'll drive you back to your hotel!", she shouted from the kitchen.

"Thank you!", the soccer player said, starting to read the application form.

"Oh, uh… I hope you won't mind… I… I asked your mother if she agreed to be the other person to contact in case of emergency", she said, walking to the couch.

Jane's eyes were wide open in surprise. "Are you serious?" Maura sat down next to her.

"I-I… I heard… and I saw how much your mother cared about you… She was really sweet with Lorie last week and… I don't know anybody I can trust enough in Boston, but if you do mind, please tell me and…"

"No, no… It's okay! I don't mind… really… I'm just surprised, that's all", she said, with a comforting smile. "Well… The form's completed properly. The academy will contact you by email about school supplies and tutti quanti… Okay now, we should go! I don't want you to be late."

"Thank you!... Thank you very much for everything, Jane. It means a lot to me. Sincerely", she said, gazing at her.

"You're welcome!", she replied, looking away.

Getting up from the couch with a smile, Maura grabbed her keys from the coffee table. Jane picked up her backpack and headed toward the front door.

"So what about Jessie? She's your girlfriend, that's right?", the doctor said, nonchalantly.

"Was", she corrected her.

"Was?", she repeated, taking her jacket from the coat rack in the entrance hall.

"Yep… Never date and fall for a model if you don't want to be heartbroken, trust me!"

"What happened?" she frowned.

"What stunning and fucking models always do… They shit on you… I didn't know I had wasted two years of my life with a bitch."

"You met the wrong person, Jane. It happens to everybody… and fame doesn't help…" Jane was about to open the front door but only to be stopped by Maura's hand on hers.

"I know what it's like… and I know what you're feeling right now. But don't give up on love. I'm sure you'll find the one."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm a girl and I believe in fairy tales…", she replied, with a smirk.

The soccer star smiled, almost laughed. "Okay, so… _Cinderella_, I think we should go now, because _Tinker Bell_, the daughter of yours, is going to wonder where you are."

"Tinker Bell? Cinderella's daughter? Where did you read that?"

"Oh? You didn't know? Actually, one day Cinderella met Snow White in the woods, and they fell in love. So Cinderella cancelled her wedding with the asshole. She got inseminated and gave birth to Tinker Bell nine months later", she answered, trying to be serious, but then she accidentally smiled.

Maura burst out laughing and opened the front door. "Remind me to never let you tell Lorie a story…"

"Why? You're afraid she can be traumatized!?"

"I'm afraid she can be fascinated!", she said with a smile. "Now come on, Pocahontas! You have to catch your flight!"

* * *

**To be continued...**


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